Your situation is specific to you alone! Take a serious look at your personality, your skill level, your confidence level, communication style and ability, as well as your financial situation. You then also have to blend this with your family situation - single or family, your age, whether moving close to other family, etc.

The first question you have to ask yourself regarding starting a practice on your own is "Am I the type?" This is a way to ask yourself if you are an entrepreneur. Are you ready to do what it takes to build a business?

Are you a self-starter?

Do you enjoy communication and interaction with people? List some examples of your expertise in this area?

Describe your ability to lead others.

Are you comfortable with responsibility?

What is the degree of your organizational skills?

Are you a hard worker?

Can you make decisions quickly and easily?

Are you trustworthy? Can people trust what you say?

What is your ability to stick with a project even with multiple obstacles in your way?

Describe your level and expertise with paperwork and record keeping.

How aggressive are you? (Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10)

Are you a risk taker?

What is your level of management of other people, being a boss?

How many people did you meet and communicate with regarding becoming a new patient in the student clinics?

What is your reaction to a lot of details and tasks around a project?

Do you compromise quickly to reach an easy solution to a challenge?

Do you enjoy business?

Do you follow rules - even your own rules?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Do you enjoy joining clubs and organizations?

Are you a workaholic - spending a lot of hours on all your projects and activities?

Have you been able to attain or maintain balance while being a student?

Do you have clear, specific goals for your business?

See “Getting started the right way: plan your work and work your plan” by Peter Lawrence, DC, CCSP, and Anthony Pusateri, DC, of The Masters Circle.

Depending on your particular personal style and life situation, there will be several ways for you to get into practice. We explore them here.

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